Nancy Sakaduski's Blog

Help Celebrate the Launch of Beach Holidays

Join us on Sunday, December 4, 2-4pm, for a party to celebrate the launch of the newest Rehoboth Beach Reads book, Beach Holidays. The party will be held in the large meeting room of the Lewes Public Library, at 111 Adams Avenue in Lewes, Delaware. The event is free and open to all. And there’s plenty of free parking.

Beach Holidays is jam-packed with 27 stories about holidays large, small, and invented. You’ll find tales about Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but you’ll also find stories about National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, DALD (Day After Labor Day) Day, Pi Day, and Stacy McGowen Day. You’ll find out that a wrong number can be just the thing you need, that the Sea Witch isn’t the only apparition in Rehoboth around Halloween, and that a Summer Valentine’s Day makes perfect sense.

The party on December 4th will feature books for sale, authors to sign their stories in your books, sales on other books by Cat & Mouse Press (including our award-winning children’s books), cake, and fun, fun, fun. You might even win a prize!

If you have never been to one of our launch parties, you’re in for a treat. Here are a few photos from the last celebration.

Celebration for Beach Secrets

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Beach Holidays Now Available

The tenth book in the Rehoboth Beach Reads series, Beach Holidays, is now available. The anthology contains the winning stories from the 2022 short story contest.

Delve into this delectable selection of 27 short story beach reads, set in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and featuring holidays real and imagined. Beach Holidays contains stories of Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but you’ll also find National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, DALD Day, Pi Day, and Stacy McGowen Day. You’ll find out that a wrong number can be just the thing you need, that the Sea Witch isn’t the only apparition in Rehoboth around Halloween, and that a Summer Valentine’s Day makes perfect sense. So, no matter what holiday is on the horizon, curl up and enjoy Beach Holidays.

Launch CelebrationEarlier Celebration for Beach Secrets

 

A party to celebrate the book’s publication will be held Sunday, December 4th, 2-4pm, at the Lewes Public Library. The event is free, open to the public, and will feature book sales, author signings, and refreshments.

 

Stories in Beach Holidays

“As Gouda Story as Any,” Jean Youkers

“Big Wind and Big Water,” Tony Houck

“Blue House,” Justin Stoeckel

“DALD Day,” David Strauss

“Death by Chocolate,” Renée Rockland

“Ethereal,” Steve Saulsbury

“Fall Ball,” Doretta Warnock

“Fourth of July Fundango,” Doug Harrell

“Holiday Hijinks,” Lonn Braender

“Home for the Hallow Days,” Terri Clifton

“Homebase,” Anna Beck

“It Was a Good Friday to Fly a Kite,” Michael Morley

“Labor (Day) of Love,” Katherine Melvin

“Mummers in the Time of Y2K,” Nina Phillips

“The Power of Three,” Mary Ann Glaser

“Slice of Pi Day,” June Flavin

“Sorry (Not Sorry), Wrong Number,” Robin Hill-Page Glanden

“Summer Valentine’s Day,” David Cooper

“Take a Chance on Me,” Madison Hallman

“Taking the Plunge,” Renee Rockland

“The Bench,” Krystina Schuler

“The Best Worst Holiday Ever,” Jeanie P. Blair

“The Cottage on Washington Street,” Denise Stout

“The Eternal Ocean,” Eric Compton

“The Hannukah Bush of Rehoboth,” Mady Wechsler Segal

“The Legend of the Waxing Crescent Moon,” Linda Chambers

“Tidings Of Comfort and…Lizards?!,” Susan Walsh

 

 

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The launch party for Beach Secrets and a celebration of the sale of Cat & Mouse Press’s 25,000th book will be held Saturday, July 9, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lewes Public Library in Lewes, DE. The event is free and open to the public. Parking (also free) is on site and attendees can easily make a day of it by taking the Lewes Line bus for $1 into town, to the beach, or to the ferry terminal. The bus stop is in front of the library.

Copies of the Beach Secrets will be available for sale and authors will be on hand to sign books and answer questions. Participants will feast on cake and other refreshments.

Browseabout Books will be offering an array of Cat & Mouse Press books for adults and children and there will even be a merch “yard sale” of imprinted mugs, tote bags, and other items at special event prices.

Children will enjoy coloring pages from The Mermaid in Rehoboth Bay and other activities.

 

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The launch party for Beach Secrets will be held Saturday, July 9, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lewes Public Library in Lewes, DE. Copies of the book will be available for sale and authors will be on hand to sign books and answer questions. Additional details will follow.

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A Remarkable Milestone for Cat & Mouse Press

Lewes-based indie publisher Cat & Mouse Press announced today that they have sold their 25,000th book. The company, which was founded in 2012, publishes beach reads for adults and children. The milestone book was a copy of Beach Secrets sold to Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach.

“Since their first year, Cat & Mouse Press has produced high quality books that customers love,” says Susan Kehoe, owner of Browseabout Books. “People enjoy reading stories that reference restaurants, hotels, and activities they recognize. We have customers who come in year after year, looking for the next book in the series.”

Beach Secrets recently won three state-level awards from Delaware Press Association. Like many of the books published by Cat & Mouse Press, it contains short stories set in and around Rehoboth Beach. The book resulted from the Rehoboth Beach Short Story Contest, which is now in its tenth year.

“When I started the company,” says Nancy Sakaduski, owner of Cat & Mouse Press, “there were no local publishers and few books set in Rehoboth.” She says she knew she had a winner when the first book in the Rehoboth Beach Reads series, The Beach House, was the top-selling book at Browseabout that year, outselling everything except Legos.

The Rehoboth Beach Reads series is known for its wide range of stories, chosen each year by a panel of judges, and written for that year’s theme. In Beach Secrets, for example, readers meet philandering fiancés, teenage tinkerers, and romantic rock stars; discover cryptic letters, historical legends, and family secrets; and encounter a WWII submarine, an avenging wife, and a lucky chicken. There are even a couple of crossword puzzles to solve.

L to r: Susan Kehoe, owner of Browseabout Books, Joe Sakaduski and Nancy Sakaduski, owners of Cat & Mouse Press

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Theme for 2022 is “Beach Holidays”

The Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest invites writers to submit stories of 500-3,500 words that feature Rehoboth Beach and fit the year’s theme, which for 2022 is “Beach Holidays.” The first-place winner will receive $500, second-place $250, and third-place $100. The top 20-25 stories will appear in the anthology Beach Holidays, to be published by Cat & Mouse Press in November. The contest, now in its tenth year, is sponsored by Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach.

“We thought our tenth year was cause for celebration, so “Beach Holidays” seemed an appropriate theme,” says Nancy Sakaduski, owner of Cat & Mouse Press. She emphasizes that all holidays are fair game. “We hope to get plenty of Christmas stories, but we would love to be able to include holidays from throughout the year and from a variety of traditions.” She suggests authors be creative and open their minds to all possibilities. “As in the past,” she says, “writers will put their own spin on the theme. Submissions that stand out to the judges definitely have an advantage.”

The deadline for entries to the Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest is July 1, 2022. The fee to enter is $10 per entry, and each writer can submit up to three stories. Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges and chosen based on creativity, quality of writing, suitability as a beach read, and fit with the theme. Contest information and guidelines are posted on the Cat & Mouse Press website (www.catandmousepress.com).

Potential entrants are encouraged to read How to Write Winning Short Stories and its companion workbook. For a limited time, contest sponsor Browseabout Books will be offering a specially priced writer’s bundle of $25 for both books. Entrants can also read the previous books in the Rehoboth Beach Reads series to see the kinds of stories judges selected in prior years.

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Beach Secrets Now Available

The latest book in the Rehoboth Beach Reads series, Beach Secrets, is now available. The anthology contains the winning stories from the 2021 short story contest.

Beach Secrets includes a wide variety of stories. Readers will encounter meet philandering fiancés, teenage tinkerers, and romantic rock stars; discover cryptic letters, historical legends, and family secrets; and encounter a WWII submarine, an avenging wife, and a lucky chicken. There are even a couple of crossword puzzles to solve. The book is available at Browseabout Books and here.

 

Zoom Launch Party

A Zoom-based launch party will be held Saturday, November 20, at 2 p.m. The event will feature authors of the stories and entertainment that involves sharing and guessing secrets of many kinds. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Email nancy@catandmousepress.com for more information.

Stories in the Book

“A Well-Watered Mind,” Kim DeCicco

“At the Water’s Edge,” Carly Tagen-Dye

“Beach Misses,” Lonn Braender

“Billy’s Night Out,” Elizabeth Ellers

“Bug Spray and a Ponytail,” Tony Houck

“Chance Encounters,” Sarah Barnett

“The Companion,” Nancy North Walker

“The Cruciverbalist,” Katherine Melvin

“Driftwood Days,” Steve Saulsbury

“Grease Monkey Baby,” Nina Phillips

“Independence Day,” Renée Rockland

“Loose Lips,” Peter Keeble

“Lucky the Chicken,” David Cooper

“The Merrifield Affair,” Linda Budzinski

“Out of the Blue,” Justin Stoeckel

“Posturing,” Fran Grote

“Rock Star,” Jeanie P. Blair

“Say Yes,” Renée Rockland

“Secret Message,” Carl Frey

“Secrets in the Attic,” MaryAlice Meli

“Snapshots in Time,” Ellen Krawczak

“The Summer Jar,” Donald Challenge

“Undercover Daughter,” Doug Harrell

“Where Do I Begin?” Phil Giunta

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The Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest is sponsored by Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach, DE.

The goal of the Rehoboth Beach Reads contest is to showcase good writing while creating a great book for summer reading. One of the most popular activities for residents and visitors is reading on the beach, and the contest seeks to collect the kinds of short, engaging stories that help readers relax, escape, and enjoy their time at the beach.

Each story must incorporate the chosen theme and also have a strong connection to Rehoboth Beach (writers do not have to live in Rehoboth). A panel of judges select the best entries, which are published in a professionally designed and edited paperback book.

Contest GuidelinesSubmission must fit the theme “Beach Secrets.”Submission may be fiction or nonfiction, but must be plausible as a “beach read” (engaging, entertaining, and/or humorous).No poetry, erotica, children’s literature, or religious material.All work must be original, unpublished, and free from libelous material (a signed release will be required).Length must be 500–3,500 words.Work must be submitted via email, preferably in Microsoft Word.Work should be publication-ready (in final form and free from grammatical, spelling, and structural mistakes).Writers retain copyright but must grant first publication rights if their work is selected.There is no guarantee of publication.Limit of three entries per person.Publisher reserves right to edit for grammar and spelling; writers will be given an opportunity to review changes before publication.No entries will be accepted after the deadline: midnight, July 1, 2021 (entries received at or after 12:01am July 2 will be disqualified).Each entry must be accompanied by a $10 fee.Writers do not have to reside in Rehoboth, but the written piece must include a substantive connection to the area.Work will be judged on creativity, quality of writing, suitability as a beach read, and fit with the theme.Enter the ContestEmail the story (include your name and phone number) to: nancy@catandmousepress.comPay the $10 fee by either:Mailing a check payable to “Cat & Mouse Press” to 33289 W. Edgemoor St., Lewes, DE, 19958, orPaying via PayPal:

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Zoom-Based Event

A Zoom-based launch party will be held Sunday, November 8, at 7 p.m. The event will feature entertainment such as authors reading their stories re-imagined as haiku and a random line contest, in which writers were given a sentence from one of the stories and were asked to write the next few lines, without knowing what the story was about or who wrote it.

The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Email nancy@catandmousepress.com for more information.

Beach Mysteries includes mysteries of many kinds. Readers will encounter hit men, ghosts, and crime solvers; find long-lost treasure; encounter figures from the past; and sympathize with tourists in distress. Writers compete to get their stories into the annual anthology and a panel of six judges makes the selections. The books are very entertaining and make great gifts for anyone who enjoys Rehoboth Beach.

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Beach Mysteries Anthology

What is a beach mystery? Is it a mermaid washing up on shore? A beach cottage with a spirit? A murder on the boardwalk? A painting with a past? Beach Mysteries includes mysteries of many kinds. You’ll meet hit men, ghosts, and crime solvers. Find long-lost treasure, encounter figures from the past, and watch tourists in distress. This anthology, the eighth in the Rehoboth Beach Reads series, contains twenty-two short stories, all set in and around Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Stories

Thalassotherapy, Carolyn Eichhorn (1st Place)

A Stitch in Time, Chris Jacobsen (2nd Place)

A Killer White Paint, Rich Barnett (3rd Place)

Tiny Solves the Case, James Gallahan (Judge’s Award)

Catching Up, Susan Towers (Judge’s Award)

The Dripping Man, Will Eichler (Judge’s Award)

Thaddeus Zoon—Mayhem on the Ferry, Teresa Berry (Judge’s Award)

Hiawatha’s Smile, Doug Harrell (Judge’s Award)

The Sound of Lightning, Kim Biasotto (Judge’s Award)

Baba’s Flying, Paul Geiger

Not Your Ordinary Thanksgiving, Sarah Barnett

Treasured Time, Michele Connelly

Canary Creek, Justin Stoeckel

Mystery at the Lilac of the Sea, Caren Pauling

Murder at The Sea Wall, Pat Valdata

Clubhouse Showers and Sleepless Hours, Doretta Warnock

What Lies Within Us, Sarah Beth Harris

The Ship to the Grey Havens, Linda Chambers

The Mermaid of Rehoboth Beach, Jennifer Walker

Circles, Tara A. Elliott

Bus to the Beach, Kathaleen and Terrence McCormick

Teething Toddlers Tell No Tales, Rachael Tipperman

 

To Purchase

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